However a few of singer/guitarist Bob Mould‘s greatest music occurred after Hüsker Dü – as evidenced by his work with Sugar and as a solo artist all through the ’90s. And he continues to supply up memorable and impressed music to today, as evidenced by his fifteenth solo effort total, Right here We Go Loopy.
Mould spoke with AllMusic a month earlier than the March 7, 2025 launch of Right here We Go Loopy, and was up for looking again all through his profession, in addition to the story behind his newest solo effort.
It has been 4 years between Right here We Go Loopy and your final launch, Blue Hearts. Why so lengthy?
“I believe, like many of the world, I acquired a little bit knocked off my regular cycle. Sometimes, my cycles for my complete grownup life, give or take a couple of months right here and there, is months of writing a file, then a time frame to file a file, then, {that a} bizarre time frame the place I’ve turned in my homework, however no one will get to take a look at it. And that is the interval that you just and I are in at the moment – the press and the all that stuff. After which there’s the discharge, after which there is a tour. So, Blue Hearts had a plan that was constructed precisely that approach, however with out touring, every thing kind of froze in place.”
“I’m the sort of musician who actually appreciates performing and getting suggestions on new materials, and I kind of misplaced that a part of my MO for what, a few yr and a half. I do not suppose I used to be in a position to get out and do reveals till the autumn of ’21. So, spending a lifetime in that sort of repetitive cycle and having it damaged, I used to be a little bit bit little bit misplaced with, ‘I ponder if these items’s any good?’ That final little little bit of suggestions was lacking. I used to be writing by way of ’20 and ’21 with some blended outcomes. I used to be a bit preoccupied with different stuff. Y’know, staying alive I suppose being the principle one. So I believe that is a part of the drag in time.”
“I imply, I believe the stuff that I used to be writing throughout that interval wasn’t…I had a pair good songs – ‘Respiration Room’ was an early tune, ‘When Your Coronary heart Is Damaged’ was a reasonably early tune. However it wasn’t prime quality output all the best way round. Simply in a time like that, I’ve discovered from expertise, when you rush it, it is in all probability not going to be your greatest work. So, simply wait. Simply hold working and it will all come into focus. And thru ’22 and thru ’23, I used to be out doing quite a lot of solo electrical work and making an attempt out new stuff.”
“Type of rebuilding that reference to the viewers and getting a superb sense of how Blue Hearts hit them, how the brand new materials that I used to be taking part in was becoming subsequent to the catalog. And that was the sort of stuff that was lacking. So once I was getting that, then every thing begins to line up a little bit bit higher. I do know that is a brilliant lengthy reply to a quite simple query, however it was an extended break. I used to be tremendous busy with touring in ’22/’23, and a good bit of ’24. It is simply now that it feels just like the cycles are again. The cycle, so to talk, is again in place.”
Let’s talk about the observe “Right here We Go Loopy” and its video.
“The video was shot and directed by a gentleman named Gus Black. And the brand new file firm, properly, the brand new mum or dad firm, BMG, had labored with Gus up to now. I noticed a bunch of his work and actually related with it. And Gus and I talked for like an hour and stated, ‘Yeah, let’s attempt to make this video. Let’s do that, and do that, and possibly do this if we now have a little bit further time.’ We shot every thing within the totally different desert areas in Southern California. And I believe Gus did a tremendous job. It is a very cool video. I had quite a lot of enjoyable working with him.”
“The tune itself, properly, it is the title observe. And very similar to the title observe from Sunshine Rock, or the title observe from Sgt. Pepper, it was…because the recording was wrapping up, it grew to become fairly clear to me that that could be the opening for the file. I had different songs in thoughts to be the opener, however that one turned out actually nice, and it felt like the easiest way to introduce folks to the remainder of the album. To kind of set a time and a spot and a location and a sentiment. It is identical to that, ‘We hope you’ll benefit from the present’ sort of factor.”
“When Your Coronary heart Is Damaged” I believed is a standout observe on the album, too.
“That is a superb one. That is an instantaneous basic for me, proper? Mid-tempo, super-pop catchy guitars with super-depressing lyrics. [Laughs] That is kind of my specialty, I suppose. However ‘Right here We Go Loopy’ is fascinating, as a result of it is quite a lot of like, small snapshots of what I have been as much as the previous few years, and issues that I am simply making an attempt to kind of set this huge open house for folks. And simply exhibiting folks bodily areas, explicit objects that come to thoughts, recurring themes.”
“The title is, gosh, possibly I ought to put a slogan mark on ‘Right here We Go Loopy,’ in order that some chain restaurant does not steal it. [Laughs] However it’s a kind of titles, proper? It is a good one and who knew by placing out the observe on January eighth, that it might be considerably well timed in a common sense. I did not see that coming.”
I’ve all the time discovered the ’90s to be a really fascinating a part of your profession, together with Sugar and your solo work. What do you recall about that period specifically?
“If I take a look at ’89/’90 – Workbook and Black Sheets of Rain –Workbook was undoubtedly an announcement of intent. ‘I’m not simply the man from Hüsker Dü.’ Black Sheets to me was kind of a reimagining of what [bassist] Tony Maimone and the late [drummer] Anton Fier delivered to Workbook, and what all of the touring from Workbook acquired us to this heavier, louder model. And that was Black Sheets. And after that file ran its course and I parted methods with Virgin Data, the aim in 1991 to me was to only begin writing what I hoped could be the very best file I may probably write.”
“I used to be on the highway, always doing solo acoustic reveals. I might play for 3 weeks and check out new materials. I would go dwelling for a pair weeks, write extra stuff. I would return out for one more three weeks. And this was all kind of planting seeds for what was to come back. That is the understanding the fabric in entrance of the folks to gauge what’s good and what’s not. After which by the top of ’91 it grew to become clear to me which file corporations would have an interest, what sort of construction would work.”
“And January ’92 is me and David Barbe and Malcolm Travis – the three of us rehearsing and studying 30 songs behind a tire store in Downtown Athens, Georgia, with the intent of constructing the third Bob Mould solo album. And we acquired requested to do a present at 40 Watt the evening earlier than we began heading as much as suburban Boston, to file the album. And determined we should always give it a band identify, and we got here up with the identify Sugar. That is kind of how that each one began.”
“The following three years was a whirlwind. I knew Copper Blue and Beaster have been actually good information. I did not foresee being the beneficiary of, y’know, I suppose the wave of grunge that actually picked up steam when Nevermind got here out. And I believe, kind of ‘reverse engineering’ why that file was profitable – it might take you to the Pixies, that may take you to Hüsker Dü. As like, only a small proportion of what made that file nice. I believe the roads have been already paved in a approach.”
“I didn’t see the moment success of Sugar because it was taking place. I imply, the second I suppose I knew, was we did a pair reveals in London in late July/early August of ’92, and one in all them was at ULU – the College of London Scholar Union Constructing. And it was only a utterly unhinged, insane present. Components of the PA falling into the group, nutty stage diving – simply insanity that I hadn’t seen in years. And I may kind of really feel it – ‘That is taking off, and we have not even put the file out.’ In order that was fairly thrilling.”
“We ran onerous and quick. In ’94, the recording of File Underneath Straightforward Listening, I used to be operating so quick that I did not have a very superb file written. However, we went with what we had. After which by the top of ’94, the band was wrapping up. And I believe our final present was in Sendai, Japan in January of ’95. After which I retreated quietly, figuring out that that mission was finished. I saved writing music. Recorded an album – a few of it at dwelling, a few of it in a small studio in Austin – and that grew to become the eponymous album that quite a lot of us name Hubcap.”
“I didn’t intend to tour on that file. The ask from Pete Townshend to open a pair reveals of his in New York within the spring of ’96 acquired me eager about getting out and dealing once more, and went out and did quite a lot of solo touring. After which ’98 was The Final Canine and Pony Present, and by the point I acquired there, I used to be beginning to get stressed for one thing new in my very own life. Not my skilled life, however my private life. I had moved again to New York Metropolis and was integrating with the LGBTQ neighborhood greater than I ever had. So I used to be enriching my life in that path, and thought, ‘Possibly this may be a superb time to cease being solely the rock man who’s on the highway in a van for his entire life.'”
“And in order that that notion of stepping away from rock touring with that file, that was 100% in earnest, that I simply felt like, ‘I am gonna take a break right here, and I am gonna construct this different life that I by no means actually took the time to construct.’ I believe that is it in a nutshell. There’s the professional wrestling stuff within the fall of ’99 by way of spring of 2000 – that kind of ran parallel to my homosexual life in New York, my curiosity in digital music. A variety of issues have been shifting. To go write professional wrestling [music] and begin writing digital music, that finally led me to DJing for many of the aughts. I knew I wished to alter, I did not know what type it might precisely take, however it all got here collectively fairly properly. Naturally, I believe.”
The Sugar tune “Your Favourite Factor” is a ’90s alt-rock basic. What do you recall about writing that tune?
“Actual tremendous riff, tremendous catchy. I do not suppose that one took lengthy to write down. That may have been like, a half hour tune. Which, quite a lot of the great ones are. However I simply thought it was a extremely cool signature riff. It is kind of in that basic ‘Sugar tempo’ – y’know, the 120s to 130s. Simply these kind of onerous driving 4 on the ground pop songs. The lyrics, there’s nothing revelatory within the phrases. However hopefully the best way that they have been constructed is fascinating. Good tune, although.”
Earlier than you stated one thing that I completely agree with: “The roads have been already paved” earlier than Nirvana’s Nevermind hit. As a result of I’ve all the time felt that bands such because the Pixies, REM, Hüsker Dü, and several other others from the 80s undoubtedly helped set the stage for various rock’s massive breakthrough within the early ’90s. Do you see that on the time?
“I believe I noticed it when Sugar acquired actually massive. I used to be like, ‘Oh yeah, we did this.’ [Laughs] On the danger of the sound of me patting myself on the again being louder than my voice. And I imply Mudhoney, Meat Puppets…there’s so many issues that acquired into Nevermind, proper? However yeah, I believe I knew, by the point Sugar was blowing up that if I had any doubts about what possibly had occurred up to now, then I believe that was kind of like, ‘Oh yeah. That is proper.‘”
What have been your impressions of listening to Nevermind for the primary time?
“Properly, I had the demos as a result of I used to be in competition for producing the file. I didn’t have the demo of ‘Teen Spirit’ – I do not know if there was one, and I do not know if anyone acquired it, if there was. However I keep in mind sitting with Gary Gersh at Geffen, and it got here up. Historical past went the best way it did, and it was completely the appropriate approach. Butch Vig was any person that I labored with again in ’84. Butch is superb. And it was an ideal match for what the songs on Nevermind have been. And every thing went precisely because it ought to. [Laughs] Y’know, Butch does that, they blow up, after which it is kind of like, ‘Oh, now I’ve acquired this E-ZPass for the toll highway I’ll have had a hand in constructing.'” [Laughs]
How vital was MTV and 120 Minutes for alt-rock artists within the ’90s?
“MTV, normally – and Matt Pinfield and 120 Minutes, particularly – did a lot to raise all of us that have been making that sort of guitar-driven music within the early ’90s. It was so vital. There have been different reveals earlier than it – a present again within the ’80s, The Slicing Edge. I keep in mind that as a result of there was one episode, it was the primary time the Smiths have been on TV in America, I believe. There was one thing with Morrissey speaking.
I keep in mind going to see Stone Temple Pilots in 2000 or one thing with a good friend. And after like, the thirteenth tune, I checked out my good friend like, ‘These are all Stone Temple Pilots songs?’ I had heard all of those songs ceaselessly, however I did not know who they have been.
“And that very same episode, Hüsker Dü was on, as properly. There was kind of a trampoline or basis being set already earlier than 120 Minutes. However yeah, 120 Minutes was the place that each one of us wished to be. It was the place the place everybody discovered about new music. It was the best way to get there. No query about it.”
“There have been quite a lot of radio stations that had been round. Faculty stations, after which stations like WLIR in New York. So, that was all a part of constructing the firmament, as properly. It was an extended course of. It did not simply occur out of skinny air. And WBCN, and Matt was DJing down in South Jersey. So, that late ’80s by way of ’91/’92, all of that was essential infrastructure, as properly. It is simply humorous – this and I do know this – however there’s kind of a ‘mainstream historical past,’ like, ‘There was all this hair metallic, after which Nevermind got here, and it modified.’ There was lots of people who did quite a lot of work to get to that time.”
Who’re a few of your favourite ’90s alt-rock artists?
“Not many. [Laughs] I imply, I’ve quite a lot of respect for Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I keep in mind going to see Stone Temple Pilots in 2000 or one thing with a good friend. And after like, the thirteenth tune, I checked out my good friend like, ‘These are all Stone Temple Pilots songs?’ I had heard all of those songs ceaselessly, however I did not know who they have been.”
“Through the ‘Sugar years,’ the bands that jumped out to me would have been my UK label mates, like Swervedriver. Or the Boo Radleys, who came to visit and toured with Sugar. However the greatest one to me was My Bloody Valentine. I hold ready for any person to prime Loveless. There have been information since then which have gotten near that degree…however that was like a beacon of sunshine of what might be finished with this kind. So, that may be the one which I might all the time go to.”
“Swervedriver being up there on the prime, as properly. The best way that Adam [Franklin] and Jimmy [Hartridge] method songwriting and placing stuff collectively and the sounds of their information was actually good, as properly. It was simply the guitar interaction, Adam’s voice, the songwriting was actually advanced…however it stayed actually catchy. And I knew about these guys from like, ’88, once they have been referred to as Shake Enchantment – as a result of they despatched me the demos that grew to become Son of Mustang Ford. I’m going approach again with them, and I am an enormous fan. I all the time sing their praises. They usually acquired new stuff – the brand new stuff is fairly cool, too. There is a observe that got here out possibly three weeks in the past. It is nonetheless acquired all the earmarks. So, it is nice.”
What can followers anticipate from the upcoming tour?
“The touring for ‘Right here We Go Loopy’ within the US, it is precisely what you’d anticipate. It is me, and me and the rhythm part which have been on the final six information. It is simply going to be a pleasant celebration of this file. I might recommend that will probably be a celebration of all six information that we recorded collectively. I would wish to put the highlight on that – which the three of us did collectively, and simply actually focus into that. I imply, I’ve acquired a deep catalog – solo, Sugar, Hüsker Dü. I believe the meat and potatoes of the tour would be the six information that we made. And I believe every thing else will in all probability…do not quote me on this! [Laughs] Simply kidding – I believe these different parts of my songbook, that’ll be the spice, not the meat of it.”